Highway Maintenance Workers

What Does a Highway Maintenance Workers Do?

Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Duties include patching broken or eroded pavement and repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. May also mow or clear brush from along road, or plow snow from roadway.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• 1Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
• 2Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
• 3Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.
• 4Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
• 5Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.
• 6Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.
• 7Drive heavy equipment and vehicles with adjustable attachments to sweep debris from paved surfaces, mow grass and weeds, remove snow and ice, and spread salt and sand.
• 8Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.

Required Skills

• Database software
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• Web browser software

Highway Maintenance Workers Salary